Meanings
worm drive1
plural worm drives
- A gear arrangement consisting of a screw (the worm) whose thread meshes with a gear wheel (the worm wheel) to turn the direction of drive through a right angle, typically with a large (1:10 to 1:60) speed reduction and similar torque increase.
Meronyms: (the screw component) worm, worm screw; (the wheel component) worm wheel, worm gear
Synonyms: worm and wheel
WORM drive2
plural WORM drives
- computer hardwareA write once, read many drive; data storage technology that allows information to be written to a disc a single time and prevents the drive from erasing the data.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA gear arrangement consisting of a screw (the worm) whose thread meshes with a gear wheel (the worm wheel) to turn the direction of drive through a right angle, typically with a large (1:10 to 1:60) speed reduction and similar torque increase.
Translations
German Schneckengetriebe
- SchneckengetriebeA gear arrangement
Hungarian csigahajtás
- csigahajtásA gear arrangement
Polish przekładnia ślimakowa
- przekładnia ślimakowaA gear arrangement
Russian червя́чная переда́ча
- червя́чная переда́ча (červjáčnaja peredáča)A gear arrangement
Spanish tornillo sin fin, engranaje tipo gusano
- tornillo sin finA gear arrangement
- engranaje tipo gusanoA gear arrangement
Swedish snäckväxel
- snäckväxelA gear arrangement
Ukrainian черв'я́чна переда́ча
- черв'я́чна переда́ча (červʺjáčna peredáča)A gear arrangement
Welsh gyriant cripian
- gyriant cripianA gear arrangement
Cite this entry
worm drive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worm%20drive
“worm drive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worm%20drive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “worm drive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worm%20drive.
Source: worm drive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.